| Six New Members Join Board |
| St. Cloud, Minn. – The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) is welcoming six new members to its Board of Directors. Hudda Ibrahim, Cathy Juilfs, Julie Lunning and Todd Zaun will each serve a three-year term on the board, all beginning in July 2022. In addition, Antionette Lee and Tajudeen Popoola will be joining as Emerging Leader Board Members. (Pictures below) In partnership with the Jugaad Leadership Program, CMCF is introducing the Emerging Leaders Program. Two Emerging Leader Board positions have been added to the CMCF Board of Directors. The Emerging Leader Board Members will participate in the community leadership and philanthropic efforts of the foundation. They will gain first-hand experience serving on an established nonprofit board and in turn they’ll be sharing a more diverse perspective with the foundation and its community partners. Antionette Lee and Tajudeen Popoola will serve for one year on the CMCF Board of Directors as the first Emerging Leader Board Members. Antionette Lee was born and raised in Chicago, IL and attended Carver Military Academy. Once she graduated high school in 2002, she moved to St. Cloud, MN, making it her home where she started her family and met her husband. Antionette worked as a certified nursing assistant, until a back injury caused her take a leave of absence. While healing, she found painting to be a positive outlet in the midst of a difficult situation. As she healed, Antionette returned to work as a paraprofessional/teacher’s assistant working with special-ed students in District 742. She began to rebuild and reclaim her identity, becoming a pillar in her community by attending community meetings, the Higherworks Collaborative program, herARTS in Action, and the Jugaad Leadership program. Antionette has recently graduated from Enterprise Academy through the Initiative Foundation, where she’s learned the basics of becoming an entrepreneur. She is now the President and Founder of No Limit Painting, LLC, the first art studio in St. Cloud owned by a woman of color. Antionette also serves on the board of directors for the Friends of the Library and Unite Cloud. Antionette says joining the CMCF Board of Directors as an Emerging Leader Member is fulfilling her passion to give back to the community. “I’m excited to not only create change but to be the change our community needs to see and feel! Being an Emerging Leader on the CMCF Board of Directors will help guide me in serving our community.” Tajudeen Popoola grew up in Nigeria, West Africa, where he received his first degree in English. Tajudeen worked in the banking industry as a Relationship Manager for about four years before deciding to further his education. In 2017, he moved to St. Cloud, MN to complete his master’s degree in Public Administration from St. Cloud State University, concentrating on International Development, Leadership, and Management. He currently works as a Case Aide Connector for the Department of Human Services at Stearns County. Tajudeen says, “I am excited to join the Central Minnesota Community Foundation as an Emerging Leader Board Member. I am passionate about giving back to the community that has made me feel at home. Thus, I look forward to learning and connecting with the great minds that steer this organization.” Hudda Ibrahim is the Founder and President of Filsan Talent Partners. She has extensive expertise in training, teaching, and curriculum development. Hudda has delivered workshops and customized training to company executives, HR departments, staff leadership teams, and supervisors. Hudda graduated from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, majoring in Conflict Resolution and English Literature. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. She is the author of “From Somalia to Snow”, “What Color is My Hijab?” and “Lula Wants to Wear a Badge.” As a faculty member at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College, and trainer, Hudda specializes in topics of diversity and inclusion, cultural competency, and unconscious bias. Hudda is a certified trainer through Franklin Covey and Cornel University. Currently, Hudda is pursuing a Doctorate of Education and Leadership degree at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Hudda is a recipient of the prestigious Bush Foundation Fellowship (2019) and an Initiators Fellowship from the Greater Minnesota Initiative Foundation (2017). Cathy Juilfs is the President of AIS Planning, an independently and locally owned wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan services firm in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. For over 20 years AIS Planning has served clients through their foundational values of “Heart of a Servant” and “Do the Right Thing”. Cathy is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analysist, a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist, and a Certified Financial Planner. In addition to serving as a primary advisor for many household relationships, Cathy leads the retirement plan division, expanding her reach to companies and plan participants in central Minnesota and beyond. Her expertise and passion for implementing qualified plans that serve business owners and their teams is unmatched. While no stranger to the technical aspects of retirement and financial planning it’s truly Cathy’s desire to deeply know her clients, understand their needs, and achieve their financial goals that drive her success. Cathy can be described as authentic, driven, and accomplished at work and in her personal life. Cathy has served on the boards of over thirteen nonprofit organizations in Central Minnesota working to foster a thriving community. And when she’s not working hard, she’s playing hard—boating, hiking, four-wheeling, traveling and enjoying the outdoors. She and her husband Darren have three grown children and a beautiful granddaughter. Julie Lunning assumed the role of President of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce in September 2021. She has been employed by the Chamber for nearly twenty-five years and served as the Executive Director of the Chamber’s St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau since 1997. Julie has worked in the hospitality and tourism industry for 35+ years, was named Outstanding Individual in MN Tourism in 2017, and was appointed by four Minnesota Governors to the Explore MN Tourism Council and Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. Julie is very active in the St. Cloud area and serves on numerous boards and committees. Recently she was appointed to the boards of Create CommUNITY and Career Solutions. Julie grew up in Milwaukee, WI, and lives in St. Cloud with her husband, Dan, a local chef, and three children ages 16, 15, and 11. In her spare time, Julie enjoys attending her children’s sporting events, traveling, and cooking just about anything. Todd Zaun is the President and CEO of Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Pierz, a 110-year-old community bank with branches in Sauk Rapids and Eden Valley. Todd is currently the chair of the board of Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity, a board member of the Guthrie Theater and a member of the board of Terebinth Refuge. He has previously served as a member and president of the board of directors of Catholic Charities of the Dioceses of St. Cloud and a member of the finance committee of CentraCare. Before becoming a banker, Todd had a career as a journalist that included stints as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and as a business writer for The New York Times. He has a law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law, a master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and a B.A. in Economics and English Literature from the University of St. Thomas. The CMCF Board of Directors guides the organization in the mission to engage people, connect resources and build community. Other board members include Janet Grones – Chair, Erin Bitzan – Vice Chair, Paul Thompson – Secretary, Jim Schlenner- Treasurer, Jason Bernick, Stefanie Brown, Ryan Daniel, Joanne Kudrna, Steve Laraway, Clare Richards, and Scott Warzecha. CMCF also wishes to recognize and thank its outgoing Board of Directors members, Annesa Cheek, John Herges and Tohow Siyad for their dedication and philanthropic leadership in our community. The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to over $147.6 million in assets and awarded over $134.5 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 900 funds totaling nearly $201 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/CentralMN.  |